A Currently Untitled Jily Fanfic
by tryingsomethingnew231
Summary: A Marauders Era Story. Of James and Lily, of Hogwarts, of charms and potions. A story of coming of age in the beginnings of the First Wizarding War.


**Chapter One**

If you'd asked her that morning, Lily Evans would have assured you she didn't believe in hate. Hate, as an entity, was entirely too strong. She didn't approve of such negative emotions. In fact, Lily resembled nothing more than the flower for which she was named - flourishing in sunlight, blooming large, enjoying life to its fullest. Of course, much had happened since that morning.

It had started with Petunia, naturally. Petunia Evans, aged seventeen, and several snide remarks about Lily being "a freak." Such remarks had ceased to bother Lily much, as they were often repeated without censure from her parents. Nonetheless, as she munched down a piece of toast, she would rather have preferred to go without Petunia's snark.

Lily was nothing if not optimistic, and smiled politely at Petunia. Besides, summer was finally over (like her son would later be, Lily was a strange girl who much preferred the school year to summer) and soon she would head back to the place she secretly called home: Hogwarts. Determinedly cheerful, she ignored Petunia's doleful glares and spread marmalade on her toast, ignoring also Petunia's remark that, "Goodness Lily. You'll be fat if you keep _that_ up." True enough, Lily would never have Petunia's stick thin, waifish figure or her height. While Petunia had dark hair and pale, clear skin, Lily's was constantly freckled and her hair was bright as copper, albeit a few shades redder. However, Lily cared nothing for her appearance, and her skirt and blouse were only neat and tidy due to the envelope she'd received weeks earlier.

Lily had been expecting her Hogwarts letter for weeks, but it came with a sweet token: a prefect's badge. She couldn't say she was completely surprised (though she'd pretend so, for to say otherwise felt unspeakably arrogant) but she was thrilled. Petunia was not. Her parents were, as usual, caught between their constantly conflicting daughters, and professed their pride only in private.

This morning, her prefect's badge was pinned proudly to her chest, and even Petunia's insults could do little to diminish its shine. Besides, Lily was about to not only go back to Hogwarts, but also see her best friends, from whom she'd been separated all summer: Marlene McKinnon, Dorcas Meadowes and Alice Hodgson. Certainly, nothing could ruin her day.

A few hours later, Lily found herself running through Platform 9 and 3/4. To appease Petunia (who had a date, one Vernon Dursley Lily had never met, coming over for dinner), her mother had stayed behind to clean and cook. Her father, simultaneously a little uncomfortable and fascinated by magic, came through the barrier as well, and stood blinking in the sunlight with the look of a newborn owl.

"Thanks for coming Dad," Lily said cheerfully, if a bit awkwardly. Goodbyes were neither her father's nor her own forte, and based off the summer, both of them knew it was unlikely she'd be coming home for Christmas. Petunia's cold shoulder routine, interspersed with shouting matches and her mother's own pathetic attempts to run interference had not made for the most pleasant summer Lily had ever experienced. But she shook her head and her curls in an attempt to free herself of negative thoughts. Today, September 1st, could only be wonderful, special and fantastic. She was going back to Hogwarts, and no one could stand in her way -

"Hullo sir, I don't believe we've met. I'm a friend of Lily's..." A tall, dark haired boy with a distinctly mischievous smile interrupted Lily's thoughts. His hair was in its typical mess, his clothes were far from the orderly state Lily's own were and, although he greeted her father, everyone watching knew James Potter cared only for Lily's reaction.

"This is James Potter, Dad, and the word 'friend' is not one I'd apply." Lily unconsciously tossed her hair as she shot a glare his way - a habit she constantly tried to break. Hair tossing was so girly.

"Ouch Evans. That one had some sting," Potter directed her way, his smile never wavering. "In any case, sir, it was nice to meet you. See you on the train, Evans. Want me to save you a seat?" James, spotting his friends and sensing that Lily could only maintain this facade of civility a little longer, strode over to an equally tall, dark haired boy, albeit unable to keep from glancing back at Lily less than six times.

"He seemed like a nice boy," said Mr. Evans, oblivious as ever, completely distracted by the wizard levitating his trunk in front of him.

"James Potter is not a nice boy," Lily replied acidly, and refrained from commenting further. "I love you Dad, but I should really be going." She kissed him on the cheek and boarded the train, searching for Alice, whom she knew would be a sympathetic listener for the latest installment in the tale of what awfulness James had enacted.

Sure enough, minutes later Lily was reenacting the whole tale for Alice in a very cramped compartment of the train. Between Lily's owl Athena, Alice's three trunks filled with books, Marlene's broom and Dorcas's refusing to share her seat, the compartment was ready to burst. Add in Lily's complaining...

"And then," she spluttered, "he said that we were friends. Friends! The nerve!"

Marlene giggled and Dorcas sighed as pushed her glasses up further on her nose, immersed in the Daily Prophet. They'd heard this kind of tale often. Marlene was convinced Lily harbored secret affections, and hoped for the two to date - a hopeless romantic. Dorcas, on the other hand, was studious and hardly noticed boys, so this kind of story held little for her.

Alice smiled gently and said, "Lily, is it possibly you're overreacting? This is hardly the worst thing James has ever done. What about the time he spelled the lilies to follow you around and sing his praises? That was bad. Or the time you caught him stringing first years around the castle with levicorpus? That was awful. All in all, maybe you're looking for a reason to be upset?" Alice was, hands down, the most practical witch of their year, from her straight brown hair to her neatly tied Gryffindor cravat. She was also incredibly truthful, a trait Lily would cease to admire quite so much over the remainder of their train ride.

Speechless, Lily spluttered indignities, unaware that only a compartment over, the Marauders were listening.

Here, of course, readers, is where we need an introduction to the highly unstable and highly popular foursome known as the Marauders. Their goal was largely chaos and their own amusement; the results were often both chaos and amusement, as well as several detentions and the loss of house points. It may seem that such characters would find themselves unpopular as they constantly cost Gryffindor points, but the latter was true. In fact, in all of Gryffindor, it was probably only Lily Evans who could wholeheartedly detest them, and by them, it was only James Potter she could really profess to dislike.

Potter was certainly the ringleader of the gang. He was also the new captain of the quidditch team - unprecedented for a fifth year. His tousled hair, wit and lively brown eyes caused many girls to sigh away their nights, but he was (mainly) oblivious, so intent on Lily Evans. Of course, he had been since day one. At this very movement, eavesdropping shamelessly, he turned to his best mate Sirius Black, and said in an attempt at casual, "You know Padfoot, this is the compartment where Lily and I met."

Sirius Black was the heartthrob of all of Hogwarts. While James possessed good looks and charm, Sirius was devastatingly handsome, combining intelligence with mystery. He also used his aura of having a tragic past to the best of his ability, landing girl after girl in both his arms and in heartbreak. Truth be told, Sirius was a bit of jerk, but he was an intensely loyal friend and always up for a laugh.

"You mean where Lily first decided to dislike you?" Sirius drawled sarcastically, knowing his snark would have no effect whatsoever on the lovelorn Potter. "More importantly, mate, this is where we first met Snivellus. Haven't seen him yet on the train..." Sirius continued suggestively, glancing over at his friends.

"No Sirius. We will not be going out of our way to hex Snape," reprimanded Remus Lupin, "not until he's done something, at least." Remus was sporting a shiny silver prefect's badge, and he fingered it gently as he spoke, leaving no one in doubt that he'd take his new responsibilities seriously. Although he would never admit it to the other three, Remus had nearly cried when he'd received his badge. For you see, Remus Lupin was a werewolf, and this sign of his headmaster's confidence in him truly touched him. Ordinarily, Remus walked a bit awkwardly, found himself a bit awkward, and was truly comfortable only around the other Maruaders. It can be truthfully said that Remus offered the largest portion of common sense and dignity of all the Marauders. Today, Remus was a little less bashful than usual, prepared to speak up in his new prefect position.

"Oh c'mon Moony. Don't get all prefect-y on us," pleaded Sirius.

"Yeah, Moony," echoed Peter Pettigrew. Sirius and James were his idols, and he spoke largely to echo their beliefs. A shy, blonde, short boy; no one was quite sure how Peter had become part of the Marauders. He lacked their wit and their skill, but he loved them ceaselessly - perhaps the largest part of his charm. His major flaw was quite probably his own easiness to be manipulated, constantly trying to be part of the more popular crowd or the winning team. Here, no one gave much thought to Peter Pettigrew. Later, his insecurities would play into one of the biggest moments in all of their lives. But that is yet to come, in far more shadowed times than these. For this story is a chronicle of the Marauders, of Lily Evans, of Marlene McKinnon, of Frank and Alice, of Hogwarts in all its innocence and its glory. This is a story of an age of innocence in the midst of turmoil, and the coming of age of all its players.


End file.
